Trap-door-operating mechanism.



H. L. WHITFORD & P. AHLSTROM.

TRAP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21,1914.

1, 1 02,221 Patented June 30,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

Patsnted June 30, 191i APPLICATION FILED MAR-21, 1914.

TRAP DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

H. L. WHITFORD 6L P. AHLSTROM.

COLUMBIA PLANoalzAr-ll Cu..wAaI||Nf|TDN. LLC.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. WI-IITIFORI) AND FREDERICK AHLSTROM. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS,

BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO METALS COMPANY,` OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .A OOR-IPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRAP-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

T all whom t may concern Be it known that we, HARRY L. Vi-irr- FORD, acitizen of the United States, and

Frnnniiioii AiiLsrRoM, a subject of the King ments in`Trap-Door-Operating Mechanisms,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a mechanism more particularly designedand adapted to effect and control the operation of trap doors used inconjunction with the vestibules of Pullman sleeping cars for the purposeof closing the stair openings in said, vestibules.

The objects of the present invention are to provide latch mechanism fornormally holding the trap door in lowered or closed position; to provideauxiliary lifting mechanism to insure the opening of the door in case itshould be bound by ice or other substance in a manner to prevent theopening thereof by the operation of the usual tension mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to form such auxiliary liftingmechanism in the shape of a swinging member which will operate againstthe door with a cam or wedging action to effect the initial openingmovement of the same, and to arrange this auxiliary lifting mechanism sothat it is normally in engagement with the door and remains in suchengagement from the start to the finish of the initial opening movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a common operatingmember `for the latch and auxiliary lifting members and to provide acertain amount of lost motion between the operating member and theauxiliary lifting member; to arrange the acting surface of the auxiliarylifting member whereby it does not effect a lifting movement upon theinitial movement thereof, whereby the latch member is placed in positionto permit an opening of the door before the auxiliary lifting memberacts to effect the initial openingoperation.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the major portion of themechanism above the floor of the vestibule necessitating a relativelysmall cut in the underframing of the ear in order to install themechanism.

The invention further consists in the features of construction andcombinations, of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the mechanism of thepresent invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the easing insection and showing the mechanism in normal or non-acting position; Fig.3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts of the mechanism in theposition they assume when the latch member is withdrawn and just priorto the commencement of the auxiliary lifting operation; Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 showing the parts of the mechanism in the positionthey assume when the auxiliary lifting mechanism has acted to start thedoor toward open position; Fig. 5, is a plan View of the actuatingmember of the present invention; Fig. 6 is apeispective of the latchmember; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the auxiliary lifting member.

The present invention relates, as stated, to a mechanism or device forcontrolling the raising of trap doors used in conjunction with thevestibule of Pullman sleeping cars. It is a well known fact that in theuse of such devices dilliculty is some times experienced in effecting anopening of the door owing to the fact that it has become bound by sleet,ice, etc., and unless auxiliai'y means are provided for effecting theinitial movement of the door difficulty is experienced in moving thedoor to open position.

Referring now to the drawings, the device as there illustrated,ismounted within a casing 8 which may be of any suitable formation. Thecasing is attached to the platform of the vestibule in anysuitablemanner, and as shown, the front face 9 of the casing is open. The casingis positioned close to the edge of a trap door 10 which latter membermay be of any suitable type and is adapted to swing up and down about acenter of movement as is usual, such movement being aided usually by aspring. The construction and arrangement of the mounting for these doorsas well as the spring above referred to, are all well known in the artand it is not thought necessary to describe or illustrate them inconnection with the present application.

The door is held normally in closed or lowered position by means ofalatch niember 11 which, as shown, comprises an arm 12 terminating in anacting face 13 and an arm 14. The latch member is mounted to swing abouta stud 15 as a pivot and maintained normally in the position shown inFig. 2 by a spring 16. The act-ing face of the latch member, as shown inFig. 2, overlies the edge of the door and serves to hold the same indownward or closed position, as is shown.

An auxiliary lifting member 17 is provided which is mounted upon a stud18 about which it swings and said member embodies an acting face 19consisting of a straight portion 2O and a curved or cam portion 21. Theterminus of the curved or cam portion is slotted as at 22, see Fig. 7.lt is this last described member which starts the door toward the openposition in case the same should become clogged by an accumulation ofsleet, ice, etc.

, An operating member 2S is provided which terminates at one end in afoot piece 2, and this operating member is mounted upon and swings abouta stud or pin 25 as a center and the operating member terminates at theopposite end from the end 24 in a finger 26 and a finger 27 which asshown diverge outwardly from one another. The finger 26 acts to move thelatch member 11, and the finger 27 acts to move the auxiliary y liftingmember 17 A spring 28 is provided for normally holding the operatingmember in the position shown in Fig. 2, this spring has one end bearingagainst the inner surface of the member 23 and its other end projectingthrough an opening 29 in the top face of the member 23 and restingagainst the inner surface of the casing 8. This will be clearly seenfrom a study of Figs. 2 and 5.

The normal position of the parts is shown in Fig. 2 and the positionassumed at the completion of the initial operation is shown in Fig. 3from which it will be observed that the finger 26 of the operatingmember has acted to move the latch member into a position whereby it iswithdrawn from engagement with the top of the door and is out ofalinement therewith leaving the door free to swing to open position. Theauxiliary lifting member has at the same time been moved somewhatthrough the instrumentalities of the finger 27 of the operating member,but as will be seen by referring to Fig. 3 the'flat surface 20 of thelifting member is still in engagement with the under face of the doorand hence the lifting member has not been moved sufficient to effect'any lifting movement of the door up to that time.

By referring back to Fig. 2 it will be observed that the finger 27 isnormally out of engagement wit-h the member 17 and that the finger 26 isnormally in engagement with the latch member 11. Therefore, the latchmember will move a predetermined distance before the finger 27 engageswith the member 17 to move this latter member, and after this engagementis edected only the fiat surface 2() of the member 17 will be inengagement with the door during the first portion of the movement of themember 17. This flat surface will not act to move the door to openposition, and before the cam surface 21, which performs the liftingoperation, engages with the door the latch member will have beenentirely withdrawn leaving the door free to open. This opening movementis illustrated in Fig. L and from a study of that figure it will be seenthat the curved or cam surface 21 of the member-17 has been brought intoengagement with the surface of the door and by a wedging or forcingaction has started the door toward its open movement.

Of course all that is necessary is to give the door a start toward openposition since such movement will break any accumulation of ice, etc.,which may have formed, and after this has been broken the door willcontinue to its open position through the instrumentalities of thespring as is usual. Therefore, when the initial impetus has been givento the door, it will move the remainder of the distance or to full openposition readily and easily. Or if it should fail to move after theinitial, lifting movement has been given, then the edge could be easilygripped by the hand or a suitable tool in- Y combination of a latchmember, a swinging auxiliary lifting member having an acting faceserving as a wedge, operating means for the latch and auxiliary liftingmembers and said operating means acting to rst withdraw the latch memberand then bring the acting face of the auxiliary lifting member intoengagement with the door to exert a wedging action thereon,substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pivotedlatch member, a pivoted wedge type auxiliary lifting member, a pivotedoperating member for the latch and lifting members and said actuatingmember operating to first withdraw the latch member and then bring theauxiliary lifting member into wedging engagement with the door,substantially asl described. l

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a latchmember, a swinging auxiliary lifting member, operating means for saidlatch and auxiliary lifting members, and said auxiliary lifting memberbeing configured to have its acting face normally in engagement with thedoor and continuing in engagement with the door until the completion ofthe auxiliary lifting operation and said operating means acting to withdraw the latch member from operative posi tion prior to the auxiliarylifting operation, substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination of a latchmember, an auxiliary lifting member, operating means for the. latch andauxiliary members, the acting face of the auxiliary lifting memberconsisting of a flat surface merging into a cam-shaped surface, saidflat surface being first brought into engagement with the door andeffecting no lifting movement thereof, said cam surface beingsubsequently brought into engage ment with the door and effect a liftingmovement thereof by a Wedging action and said latch member beingWithdrawn from acting position previous to the lifting action by theauxiliary lifting member, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a latchmember, a swinging Wedge type auxiliary lifting member, one of saidmembers being slotted to permit the other to pass through the bodythereof during the movements thereof, operating means for the latch andauxiliary lifting members, said operating means acting to first withdrawthe latch member `and then bring the auxiliary lifting member intoWedging engagement with the door, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a latch member, a swinging auxiliary lifting member, oneof said members being cut away to permit the body of the other member topass therethrough during the movements of said members, operating meansfor said latch and auxiliary lifting members, said auxiliary liftingmember being configured and arranged to normally maintain its actingface in engagement with the door and continue in such engagement untilthe completion of the auxiliary lifting operation, said operating meansacting to withdraw the latch member from acting position prior to thebringing of the auxiliary lifting member into acting position,substantially as described.

7 In a device of the class described, the combination of a latch member,a swinging auxiliary lifting member, and one of said members being cutaway to permit the other to pass through the body thereof during themovements of the members, an acting face on the auxiliary lifting memberconsisting .of a fiat surface merging into a canrshaped surface,operating means for the latch and auxiliary lifting members, saidoperating means acting to bring said flat surface first into engagementwith the door whereby no lifting movement is imparted to the door and tobring the cam surface subsequently into engagement With the door toeffect a lifting movement by a ivedging action exerted on the door andsaid operating member acting to Withdraw the latch member from actingposition prior to the lifting action by the auxiliary lifting member,substantially as described.

I-I, L. WHITFORI). F. AHLSTROM. Witnesses WVM. I. BOND, THOMAS A.BANNiNe.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Tatentl.

Washington, D. C.

